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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26708026">Inhale &amp; Exhale</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/EmbretheWorld/pseuds/EmbretheWorld'>EmbretheWorld</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Fairy Tail</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Laxus has problems, Minor Character Death, Please comment!, the original female character is laxus mother, they are welcome</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 06:35:50</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,231</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26708026</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/EmbretheWorld/pseuds/EmbretheWorld</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>His mother was a simple woman, his father was anything like that. Like his father, he tried to rush through life, trying to become the strongest there was and never took the time to stop and just breathe like his mother had taught him too. </p><p>So for once and his life, he stops, breathes, and appreciates what he has.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Ivan Dreyar &amp; Laxus Dreyar, Ivan Dreyar/Original Female Character(s), Laxus Dreyar/Mirajane Strauss</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>18</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Inhale &amp; Exhale</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>His mom- Jane, a simple name for a simple woman- wasn't anything like his father. First of all, she had the patience that some could only dream of- something he had sadly never gotten- and another thing was that, like him, she was born without magic and had gotten a lacrima implanted in her too; you could guess who convinced her to do it.</p><p>Jane- even though he'd never call her that to her face if she ever were to come back- was the opposite of Ivan, a sweet, kind, caring woman who wasn't afraid to talk back to those who wronged her while Ivan was a cold-hearted bastard who didn't deserve the title of his father, let alone human; he wonders <em><b>how </b></em>they ended up together. </p><p>His father was a complicated man, a man who tried to rush through life, while his mother took her time to stop and enjoy the things around her, and just <em>breath</em>. He was like his father in his own right, rushing through life and trying to do everything with barely anything.</p><p>So, instead of trying to be better than everyone, instead of trying to prove he was better than everyone he <em>stopped</em>. His mother liked to do that, she'd try and stop Ivan to get him to look around at everything they had made and everything around them; sometimes it'd work, and sometimes it didn't. And sometimes she'd do the same thing with him.</p><p>They'd stop for a moment, leave the house, or she'd take him away from the chaos that Ivan had left him at and they'd walk along throughout the city. She'd hold his hand and he'd walk along stone separating the river and the walkway, she'd always make sure he wouldn't fall. Sometimes they'd visit the park and picnic under the cherry blossom trees, slowing down every once and a while to see how their surroundings had changed from the last time they did this. They'd look around, breathe, and carry on with whatever they were doing before.</p><p>And when she had died all those moments had stopped, and all his memories of those places soon grew sour rather quickly. </p><p>He only had himself and his father to blame for that.</p><p>His mother had always taught him that sometimes they needed breaks, but that was given in being human, he never got the chance to ask her why she told him that. Maybe out of the fear that Ivan would have done the same thing he'd done to her, and when he was forced to grow up at an age he thought he was too young to grow up at, he appreciated what she taught him. </p><p>He could vividly remember his parents arguing one night, it was the day after he had gotten a lacrima implanted in him, he had been coming home from the guild that his mother was supposed to pick him up from but she never did. The two of them were arguing, it wasn't an irregular thing he'd come home to, and he winced, fear that yet again, another argument would start again like it had yesterday morning. Out of everything their arguments were the worst, bad enough that he'd find a stick note and crudely write down that he was going to the guild for a while and would stick it on the fridge for his mother to find. </p><p>However, this one was different from the rest.</p><p>Laxus- him, a young boy who knew no better- reached out to go and grab the doorknob to leave but a loud yell from his mother- an irregular thing for her- makes him flinch grab the knob with a tight grip, tears gathering in his eyes. He wants his mom to stop yelling, the same with his father, he just wants to be held and told everything was going to be alright, but his mom is busy and she can't come to the rescue right now. He didn't hear much about the conversation since he was too busy trying to escape this cursed place, the only thing he heard was his mother screaming about a type of magic that was too destructive for a young boy and his father yelling back at her.</p><p>He slept at the guild that night and found his mother was presumed dead the next morning from some illness. Which was when he had learned that even the most important people could leave despite how much you didn't want them too, and was the point in his life where everything had turned for the worst.</p><p>Everything his mother had built had crumbled down in a matter of seconds, so, to replace it he built impenetrable walls that only a select few would be able to break; Mira was one of those few people. One of the few people that made him want to stop, breathe, and just look at everything the two had and appreciate his time with her. </p><p>And so out of everything he'd pride himself in being, the most important one was being that he was more like his mother than his father. </p><p>He wasn't as patient as her, not as kind as her, and he sure as hell didn't have the same power as her but he had her hair, her eyes, her imagination, along with her poor immune system as well, but most importantly he had her ability to stop, breath, and appreciate what he had.</p><p>"Laxus? Are you doing alright?" One of those was Mira, a kind barmaid that he has no idea how someone like him managed to attract someone like her. But he stopped thinking about that, he could think about it later, right now he just wanted to breathe and appreciate everything he has, just like his mother had back then. </p><p>"Laaaxuuusssss?... Dragon? Are you even listening to me?" And sure, when he took a moment to appreciate everything he had there'd be thoughts- thoughts he wished he never had- creep upon him. Thoughts that Mira would leave him, whether through death or just plain out leaving him because he wasn't good enough; just like his mother and father had. He missed his mom.</p><p>"Laxus are you-"</p><p>"I'm thinking," He muttered, slightly brushing off her concern. She titled her head a bit, her bangs- which was rare but she always looked good with them down- covering her eyes slightly. "About what?" He shrugged. </p><p>"Nothing you need to worry about demon," But knowing Mira she'd worry, so there was no point in the end. "Are you sure?" He let out a sigh, Mira was like him in some way, stubborn and not willing to give up even if it killed her. Why did he even argue with her?</p><p>"The past," He heard Mira let out a small 'Oh'. He closed his eyes.</p><p>Inhale, and exhale. Everything would be okay, everything's been okay. He was nothing like his father, and he would continue to not be like him. </p><p>"I might not be able to partly understand what you’re going through, but I understand you need someone here for you." He let out a hum, slightly nodding his head.</p><p>Inhale. It was just the two of them as if it was just their own world. Exhale. This would all be okay, and these feelings would eventually pass. </p><p>His mom would be proud of him, and he could live with that. </p>
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